We Stand Tall, But We Can't Stand Alone

Before the horrendous sequence of terrorist attacks came to pass, the United States was an unchallenged beacon for security and strength. Most Americans gave little thought to national defense or how deeply some extremists desire to exact pain and revenge on the United States for what they see as meddling in foreign affairs.

Americans have only experienced extremist sentiments through the media. The average Joe assumes that angry protests abroad are due to jealousy or governmentally fueled anti-U.S. propaganda. Few would think that setting Old Glory ablaze is an act of frustration directed at an outside force imposing its will without fear of retaliation.

If evidence continues to point toward the current prime suspects, it seems as though the United States will no longer be immune to violence on its shores. After months of debate over missile defense, it turns out that America was brought to her knees with weapons no more sophisticated then implements on the desk sitting in front of me.

Only by acting with the international community can the United States seek to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Now is not the time to become rigid in regards to America's view of pre-existing international accords.

If a few men holding plane tickets and box cutters can abandon their sense of self-presevration and kill thousands, the U.S. must not focus billions of dollars on a system designed to intercept transcontinental missiles.

Throughout the last few months, the United States withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, did not sign the Kyoto Protocol and left the United Nations Conference on Racism. At the time, these unilateral actions may have seemed best for America's immediate needs concerning defense, economic production, and tolerance, but they failed to ameliorate our relationship with allies depending on American support.

Unfortunately the first signs of a true U.S. interest in international solidarity came in response to the tragedies in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Without the cooperation of the international community the United States has two options: penetrate terrorist groups without the aid of local governments or do nothing.

Unilateral action against those guilty for these attacks will infringe on the rights of other nations. In an attempt to secure its own freedom, America would strip other nations of a similar freedom.

This would also lead to assaults that would not differentiate between fundamentalists and moderate Muslims. Such an effort would be fuel to the pyre of those suicidal hijackers who sought to polarize religious groups and incite war.

On the other hand, America can mourn the tragedy and accept the loss without reacting. Some say this will not escalate the violence. Such pacifism, however, will encourage greater assaults on liberty and alienate all allies who fear similar terrorist acts within their borders. Appeasement did not work in 1939, and it will not work now.

If the Bush administration drastically changes its course of action and chooses to focus its response solely on bettering airport security and other internal problems (withstain from retaliatory assaults), America would appear weak. There is no better way to award well planned terrorism.

Just as an African American cannot say anything to convince a white supremacist of his equality, the United States cannot respond to fundamentalist violence in any way to quell their hatred short of abandoning its democratic ideals.

Recognizing the futility of these options, the United States has shed its unilateral skin and reached out for the help of both new and old allies. Should the Bush administration choose to direct military assaults on the Taliban government in Afghanistan for harboring Osama bin Laden, success will accompany unanimous international condemnation of terrorism. Only by stripping these groups of all countries providing safe haven will the U.S. succeed in stopping organized terror.

If America is to reassert its strength and security, the torch of Lady Liberty must light the path toward cooperation between the United States and fellow U.N members. Hopefully this torch will burn brightly for decades to come rather than burn out as the initial conflict fades.

Michael Carlton can be reached at carlton@email.unc.edu.